A boy who is reborn in his favorite Romance, training to be the strongest, of course he has his scams, Follow him as he walks through the corpses of his enemies, and while he conquers the most beautiful women of Emperor's Domination

In Lin Fan's current state, changing the values on the server was something that could be easily done. However, this was a risky move, as at the end of the day when all the records were checked, it would definitely be found out by a bank worker. So, Lin Fan had to finish everything and get out within twenty-four hours.
The bank server had five checkpoints of defense against hackers, but for Lin Fan, it was just child's play.
The first checkpoint was a firewall, the second was ips encryption. The third was waf encryption and the fourth was a web protocol. The final line of defense was the database server.
For any other hacker, getting past the five checkpoints was something of an impossible feat. For Lin Fan whose hands were skilled, it was like taking candy from a baby.
The guys which he had met just now had enough balls to go up against him. Righteous Fan was doing his thing and those guys still dared to go against him. If he hadn't shown them who was boss and hadn't taught them their lesson, it wouldn't be right.
Against other hackers, the group of guys who had tried to stop Lin Fan would have a fighting chance, but to Lin Fan, they were nothing.
On Weibo.
 
The activity on Weibo was more than usual, with the hacking incident trending.
Numerous netizens were paying attention to Master Lin's Weibo page, shocked and baffled. Some didn't dare to believe what they were witnessing.
This had never happened in Weibo history before.
A whole train of personal information of all the scammers from before had been posted on Master Lin's Weibo, and every single detail was accurate and precise.
It included everything. Their old addresses, their new addresses...it was scary beyond belief.
"Damn, what is this name list about?"
"Ah? These guys also hacked into the bank servers, met Master Lin and got kicked out of the server. Now Master Lin got their names and posted them."
"Wait a minute? I think I found out some bad news."
"What thing?"
"Don't you guys see? The job description of the guys who got kicked out of the server by Master Lin?"
"What?"
"F*ck? It's the National Internet Safety Department. Those guys work there. So what is the meaning of this?"
"I understand. This is definitely because Master Lin hacked into the bank servers, causing the Internet Safety Department to intervene. Master Lin didn't realise who they were and thought that they were other hackers who were trying to destroy the back server, so he immediately screwed them and kicked them out of the server. That's why..."
"So this is a huge misunderstanding?"
"The good guys got labelled by Master Lin as intruders and they got annihilated. All their personal information is online as well."
"I'm afraid that this is the only interpretation of the information right now."
"Terrifying! This is just too terrifying!"
"I would like to know if Master Lin actually knows about this."
The discussion on the Internet was intense. For most people, they had never seen this happen before.
Even if the bank servers were hacked, the news would be suppressed. The journalists would not report the news for fear of widespread paranoia.
But this time, with Lin Fans quirky character, he did everything justly and honourably, accounting for his every action on Weibo.
Everyone was blowing up.
 
This was just provoking so many people.
Some people just enjoyed looking at the world burn.
Every part of the country.
The scammers had been well hidden within society for quite some time. Even if you saw their faces, you wouldn't know that they were scammers. But after Lin Fan's one act, all the scammers who were still active, going about cheating people, were all weeded out.
Although it was a huge collective effort, it had to be done to make life more pleasant.
A young man was walking down the street. He was handsome, and his arms were wrapped around another girl. The girl thought that her boyfriend was just the best. Not only did he have money, he was generous and he always spent his time with her in the day. Where could one find such a boyfriend?
The young man enjoyed his life. There were too many idiots in society who had too much money and were easily cheated. Now that he had a girlfriend, he felt more fulfilled than ever.
"Don't move!"
At that instant, a group of police officers ran up to him, pinning the young man to the ground.
"What are you guys doing? Who are you guys?" the girl shrieked out loud.
"We are police officers," the policemen pinned him to the ground. "You are suspected of conducting illegal scams. Please follow us."
The young man was in a daze after hearing what the policemen just said, but he refused to be honest. "You guys got it wrong. Since when have I ever cheated anyone? What proof do you have?"
One of the police officers took out their phones and opened Weibo. "Look, this is all the evidence that we need. This is your picture and the identification is yours, right? And all these bank transactions are yours too, right? You have been busted by Master Lin and the evidence is overwhelming, so there is no use resisting."
"Who the f*ck is Master Lin? I don't know who he is. You guys can't arrest me! I didn't do anything wrong, " the young man exclaimed.
"It doesn't matter if you did or didn't. Please follow us to the police station," the police officer said, directing the young man to the police car.
"Young lady, this young man is suspected of conducting scams. If you want to know a little more, you can go and see Master Lin's Weibo page. Everything you need to know is over there," one of the female police officers said.
The young lady froze on the spot, not knowing what to do. After snapping out of it, she opened her Weibo and looked for Master Lin. After seeing what Master Lin had posted, she was completely stunned.
This happened throughout the whole nation.
There were some scammers who paid close attention to Weibo. After they saw their information being posted online, they became flabbergasted.
What on earth was going on? All of them did their best to stay low-profile. How did they get exposed? This was completely illogical.
It wasn't that they hadn't thought of running, but since they had scammed so much money, they would definitely become wanted and they would definitely have trouble hiding after that.
Brother.
 
F*cking Master Lin, where the hell did you even come From? This is unforgivable.
I'll submit to you. I'll give myself up now. You got me this time.
This was happening throughout the whole nation.
 
Many police stations could barely handle the load.
 
One by one, the scammers all started streaming in, surrendering themselves. All the police officers were puzzled since they still didn't know what was going online. All they knew was that Weibo was getting really popular that day, but the online news agencies hadn't reported the news yet.
If the scammers hadn't given themselves up, the only other way was that they would be found and arrested.
Cloud Street.
 
Lin Fan paused what he was doing.
He silently lit up a cigarette and took a deep puff, his vision fixed towards the distance.
This case had been handled beautifully.
 
Although there were still some fish which escaped the net, he was satisfied with his results.
"Brother Lin..." Zhao Zhong Yang said, looking worried. 
Wu You Lan wanted to say something but decided not to. She didn't feel right on the inside.
"Don't worry, just let me relax for awhile..." Lin Fan waved them away.
Police car sirens filled the air.
 
The people who were in Cloud Street all were stunned after hearing the sounds of the police sirens. They didn't know what had happened which warranted so many police cars.
Lin Fan took the opportunity to access his Weibo.
"I won't be with you guys anymore, but my legend lives on. The police officers are here and I'll be arrested, so I'll see you guys on the other side!"
After sending that post, Lin Fan silently turned off his computer.
A police officer brashly ran forward and shouted for the rest to follow. He didn't know anything other than the fact that they were here to catch a huge criminal.
"That's him. Get him!" he shouted, after seeing Master Lin.
"Are you insane? Stand aside!" Liu Xiao Tian breathed him as he got off his car.
Walking into the shop.
 
Liu Xiao Tian heaved a sigh of helplessness. "We can't help you much. The higher ups have spoken. We've got to bring you in."
Lin Fan nodded his head. "I understand."
Liu Xiao Tian nodded back. "The guys from the Internet Safety Department are here. They are going to bring your computer away."
"Sure, no problem. But this computer is brand new, so please don't destroy it. Also, I've got a few movies downloaded inside which I haven't watched yet. If they delete it, I won't let them go," Lin Fan nodded his head in agreement.
Liu Xiao Tian smiled, his face showing a hint of helplessness.
"Brother Lin..." Wu You Lan stood at one side, her face full of worry.
"No problem. I wouldn't have been able to hide anyway," Lin Fan waved her away.
Wu You Lan didn't understand what Lin Fan meant by hiding, but seeing Lin Fan being taken in, she didn't know what else to do.
Just at this moment, a commotion arose outside.
"F*ck, what do you police officers want with him?"
"Don't worry, Little Boss, we are here to save you...."
"F*ck, if you guys want to bring Little Boss in, you guys can keep on dreaming."
All the shop owners of Cloud Street gathered, adamant about their case. They didn't know what was going on, but one thing was for sure: the police officers will not arrest Little Boss.
Lin Fan looked a little helpless. "Sigh, it can't be helped. I'm just too welcome over here. Come let me handle this."
"Alright, but you don't have to worry. I've discussed this with the bureau chief. We will protect you as much as we can." Liu Xiao Tian shook his head, saying.
"No need. I've already found my support, and it is more valiant than anything else. It is more than adequate."
Liu Xiao Tian was puzzled, but he replied positively. "Adequate?"
"Yep," Lin Fan nodded.
...


I am Lin Fan and I've become a jack of all trades just because of a powerful Encyclopedia. 
In the first ever competition organised for trolls, all the other contestants lost. The crowd exclaimed, "Brother, you're so good at trolling." 
Lin Fan replied, "But I've never been trolling..."

Wang Ling had always felt that Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal, the owner of the cultivation forum, was a mystical person. There were two impressions which the old members in the group had of this owner. 
First, Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal, who traveled all year round, was not only knowledgeable, but also knew all kinds of funny anecdotes. As long as it was cultivation gossip, he would have almost all the details. Whose pill furnace exploded, whose mythical creature had gone missing, whose child fell into an underground cave while on holiday and found an ancient magic weapon… Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal could always turn all of these things into topics for idle conversation.
Second, Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal really loved to court disaster. He was a very nosy person and Wang Ling had always felt that he had a very strong sense of cultivation brotherhood; no matter how big or small a matter was, as long as someone asked him for help and could pay a corresponding fee, Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal would lend a hand. Wang Ling knew him to be a man full of justice. The incident that left the deepest impression on him was when Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal had once accepted one HNY from a little girl whose whole family had been murdered to ensure their silence — without hesitating to offend the wrong people, he had shown up at the door of the underground criminal element, knife in one hand and killed them all.
The reason Wang Ling was looking for Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal this time was actually to ask for any information he might have about the stone ghost mask. If one wanted to know any cultivation inside story, Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal was their best bet.
While the group was engaged in a lively chat, Cailian Zhenren suddenly said, "It's rare for Ling Zhenren to be online, but it just so happens that Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal isn't here at the moment."
Wang Ling was shocked. "…" Based on his understanding of this chatterbox who liked to post trivial things whenever he had the time, even if they had now switched to a chat group, for him to not show up a few days in a row was really abnormal.
Had he encountered some sort of trouble?
While Wang Ling pondered this in his heart, Nine Times Man sighed. "Group owner really hasn't been online for a long time, it's been about three or four days!"
Wang Ling was very clear on how strong Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal was; he was much stronger than Old Li, hence why he was able to travel around as he pleased. Besides, he also had an ancestral magic weapon, the "Skybomb Grenade"; its effect was five hundred times far more powerful than that of a flashbomb and also had a stun effect. Even if Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal's strength was flagging, he would always have a way to "throw a grenade" to ensure that he could escape successfully.
"Does anyone have any information?" Cailian Zhenren asked in the group.
She clearly knew that Ling Zhenren wouldn't have shown up if it wasn't urgent. But it had now been several days that the whereabouts of the group owner Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal was unaccounted for and she was a little worried.
Immortal Toya pondered for a moment, then replied, "Does anyone remember the last message sent by Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal?"
Bulang Blade Immortal: "Senior Immortal said that one of his brother-in-arms had a lab which had suddenly been destroyed and he had also lost his memory, so he can't remember who on earth had done it. So Senior Immortal said he wanted to get justice for his brother, but until now there hasn't been any more news."
"…" Wang Ling felt this seemed familiar somehow.
Before he could digest this information, Bulang Blade Immortal said again, "This is actually very embarrassing. This Senior Immortal's brother actually deals in cyberintelligence."
"Hacker?" asked Lightning Dharmaraja.
Lightning Dharmaraja had always had an unusual interest in people's online habits. Over the years, he had used his own lightning energy to cure many degenerate youngsters who had been addicted to online games. Furthermore, every one of them ended up being promoted from worthless losers to the Foundation Establishment stage. It was said that this was all due to Lightning Dharmaraja shocking them into it.
"That's right." Bulang Blade Immortal nodded. "Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal's hacker brother seemed to have been investigating some old senior. Then that person single-handedly destroyed the lab. It's said a cannon was also destroyed, I think it was called… Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon?"
Looking at the chat window, Wang Ling facepalmed and was completely silent. "…"
Bulang Blade Immortal seemed to have special knowledge of this matter as he continued talking. "This big cannon is amazing, it's said that Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal invented it in order to destroy the headquarters of the fake milk powder crime ring."
"Fake milk powder?" Just then, Cailian Zhenren also remembered something. "I heard from Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal before about a criminal gang that specializes in selling fake milk powder. This group scams those in the general population that can't cultivate by saying that after babies drink their milk powder, they can be promoted directly to the Foundation Establishment stage. The cultivation police department issued a national orange order for their arrest not long ago."
The full name of this fake milk powder group was Saint Cavalry and its members were called the Saint Milk Powder gang. Wang Ling had recently heard a lot about it on the way to school.
Although Saint Cavalry wasn't strong overall, what was frightening about them was the fervor of their milk powder pyramid scheme; they had only appeared for just three months, but their member numbers and scale of development had already surpassed many criminal organizations which had taken years or even decades to set up. Apart from Shadow Stream, they were the only other criminal organization which the cultivation police department had felt compelled to issue an arrest warrant for, which was enough to show how serious the country was about this issue.
Furthermore, many people believed that if their activities weren't effectively suppressed, the orange order would very likely be upgraded to a red order, the same as for Shadow Stream.
It should be pointed out that if the people who had been cheated into buying the fake milk powder linked hands… they could f**king encircle the earth twice over!
Listening to the group conversation, Wang Ling was lost in deep thought. He admitted that he had gone a little overboard; Uncle Black had only been doing the Zhuo family a favor in return for what they had done for him and hadn't had any malicious intentions. Instead, Wang Ling had messed up his lab and had now given criminals a chance to wreak havoc.
He sighed in his heart. Later on, he would have to think of a way to make it up to Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal and that Little Black.
Directly apologize? No way…
Given the current buzz around the fake milk powder scandal, people in the group were naturally starting to worry about Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal's safety since he had already disappeared for a few days.
"Do you think it's possible that group owner has been kidnapped by this Saint Milk Powder gang? Pyramid schemes nowadays are crazy!" Nine Times Man threw out his speculation.
"If so, the situation is very dangerous."
Immortal Toya said, "I suggest waiting a while longer — if Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal still isn't online after twenty-four hours, we'll dial 110!"
Cailian Zhenren also agreed. "Yes! If there's a problem, look for group owner; if group owner has a problem, look for the police! No problem!"
Just as everyone was discussing this, the group chat window shook —"Group Owner: Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal is now online"!
"Bloody hell?! Online? I didn't misread that, right?" Nine Times Man sent a surprised Tuzki[1] emoji.
"It really is Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal!"
"Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal, you've been offline for several days, the group was discussing whether or not you had been kidnapped by an underground organization," said Bulang Blade Immortal.
Everyone quietly waited for Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal's reply.
A moment later, the group exploded with a foul-mouthed voice message which Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal had tossed out. "F**k! You don't know how badly destroyed my brother's lab is! This isn't even the most irritating thing! It was bad enough the asshole who did it destroyed the equipment, but even the WIFI didn't escape damage! There was no signal at all over there! No WIFI! Bloody f**k!"
Wang Ling: "…"
[1] Tuzki is a popular bunny emoticon character widely used in various messaging app platforms.


As a cultivation genius who has achieved a new realm every two years since he was a year old, Wang Ling is a near-invincible existence with prowess far beyond his control. But now that he’s sixteen, he faces his greatest battle yet - Senior High School. With one challenge after another popping up, his plans for a low-key high school life seem further and further away...
Wang Ling: I just want to eat my crispy noodle snacks in peace...
Father Wang: If you're careless enough to destroy the country, it’s coming out of your pocket money. 
Wang Ling: It’s not my fault that the backlash from punching me kills you.
Please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/henyeetranslationsDLIK
If we hit certain milestones, we will release more chapters in a mass release!
Tags: comedy, school, cultivation, tsundere, popular culture, almighty protagonist, action

Tang Ling returned to the Game World through his sleep. Again he felt the great speed of his body but was long accustomed to it.

Tang Ling opened his closed eyes and saw the familiar area: the Lone Dawn Village.
The fresh scent of air... The touch of earth... The never-ending valleys... These were everything that his world didn't have. He could sense the happiness and harmony of the village unlike the dark slums where plots and murder could be seen every day or the white slums where one would still be wary of scams. Sometimes, he felt that this world was more real than his...

Forget about it, Tang Ling shook his head, no matter what, this world and the real world are all the same. He could not compare it whenever which is real or fake, these two are real.

Suddenly, Tang Ling remembered that the kids of the village said that he should give the extra sunflowers to Forger Wang but he indeed forgot about it.

"Thanks boy, with these sunflowers I can relax my body," said Forger Wang when he received the sunflowers.
"Hum... What would you do with these sunflowers ?" asked Tang Ling. Yeah, sunflowers are really common and don't have any uses unless you want to beautify your garden, I guess?

"What do you mean? Everything has its use, sunflowers are common, yes but possess some energy of the sun and earth. Sunflowers and other common herbs can be used to refresh the body! Look !" Forger Wang demonstrated to him. He put the sunflowers to his muscled body. After a few seconds, the sunflowers began to melt and vapors could be seen.

"You see? Sunflowers refresh the body, you see, little kids are ignorant but for these common herbs can be used to accelerate your cultivation."

[With the basic teachings of Forger Wang and Medicine LV1, you have learned some insights to Herbology]
[Sunflowers and etc. (Trashes): Common herbs that can be found everywhere. They're treated as trashes for ignorants. But for some people, they have discovered the true uses of them. 
Effect: Varies: Can Accelerate Qi, Accelerate cultivation, Healing, etc.]

[You have completed the extra quest: Sunflowers to the Forger Wang!
Received 10 EXP, 1 copper and a dagger]
"As thanks, take this dagger, I know that young people like you want to explore the world. This excellent dagger that I made can protect you from some harms." Forger took out a small dark dagger and put on his hand.

[Fine Lone Dawn Dagger (Common): 8-12 ATK
A common dagger that Forger Wang make for self-defense for every adult villagers. It is the symbol of friendship and belonging of the Lone Dawn Dagger.]

"Speaking of it, go deal with the small fries, although they don't threaten anyone in the villages they are very annoying, plus we have more important things to do but we can't let them unpunished !"

[Quest received: Deal with these devious creatures! 
Difficulty: Easy
Forger Wang is long preoccupied with these evil small creatures that are very annoying. They pillage the fields, steal some items, and are very annoying to everyone. But the villagers don't have the time to spare for the imps and aren't easy to catch. Forger Wang wants you to kill 10 of them and if possible, retrieve their items
Requirement: Kill 10 Imps 0/10, Extra: Regain the items]
"Of course, Master Forger Wang, I will accept !"
"Good Go, these pests are living in the east of the villages, generally in caves."

Tang Ling nodded and as he started to go to the caves, he remembered that he said that the imps weren't dangerous to anyone but was just annoying. Could it be that he included the children?
[Huang Child LV 7]

What the f*** ?! Every child was stronger than him ?!

From what he thought, LVs increased one's strength, he, as an LV 1 gained a small increase of strength so he could easily beat someone up. But at LV7 means that every child could just beat him up without a sweat. Don't underestimate a little strength, this little strength could make one beat two if before he could beat one at the same time.

Forget it, he would be able to close the gap with these children when he finish the quest.

Tang Ling walked over 10 kilometers and finally found a small cave. 10 kilometers was nothing for Tang Ling, as slummers, he could easily walk for 20 kilometers without breaking a sweat.

Imps around the village were all weak, but in levels they're stronger than Tang Ling himself. Luckily, they are innately weaker than the normal level counterpart and were dumber than normal humans unless it came to the fact of destruction and stealing. They were the kings at it.

Tang Ling approached the small cave and saw a small figure here and there.

[Little Imp LV 3 HP:40, Description: You don't have enough knowledge]

Tang Ling didn't bother with the lack of descriptions, he readied his knife and pounced at the imp while crazily slashing at it.
After a couple of slashes, the imps died without any chances of retaliating.

[You have killed a imp gaining 10 EXP]

With this encounter, Tang Ling realized that his crazy slashings didn't have the proper technique...
Well, he was pretty fast but he didn't have anything to accelerate his knife handlings or increase his power. If he could grasp something about it, he would take less time and strength to kill an imp.

Tang Ling looked over the next imp who didn't notice his comrade killed and tried to sneakily attack.
Bam! The sneak was successful, his attack landed on the imp's head. Everyone knew that the brain was a weak point, a fatal one at that. But his attack didn't immediately kill the target and the dagger was stuck on it head.
Tang Ling tried to retrieve his dagger but it wouldn't budge. The imp reacted and started speaking nonsensical things..

"Albajsalaow,pkapsojawms... ASKAWU !" Sensing something wrong, Tang Ling let go of the dagger and immediately retreated to the side.

What he saw was a fireball that went to his previous place, but as it slightly scratched his shoulder causing his shoulder burnt. The pain was still bearable but it caused a lot of damage. 

HP: 100/150. 
50 damage, it meant that if he got hit he would surely die, and if it scratched 2 more times he would also die.

Hidden under this seemingly prosperous modern world is a desolate and broken civilization, recovering from a deep wound. In this resource-poor world, natural resources are scarce and people compensate with strange alloys made of energy called 'Flux'.  What's more, looming over this peaceful scenery is these strange invasions of mutated creatures, capable of destroying buildings in a split second.

No one knows what life was before the Great Destruction, survivors from this era picked up some knowledge before rebuilding civilization creating this weird world where some fields are extremely advanced while others lag behind by three hundred years. Monarchy and Religion prevails in this seemingly modern world and powerful beings called 'Orderers' who protects the land that humanity has claimed are so powerful and their status so respected that it seems that they were simply a higher species than the common man. Inequality is so huge but nothing can be done, in front of those evolved humans, number is meaningless. Because they are stronger, capable of wiping out entire armies, they are respected and feared

From the ruins, ashes flutter and is reborn again. Three continents still exist in this planet, namely: Brokang Continent, named after the first conqueror and savior of humanity's dynasty; the Holy Continent, where the Sacred Spirit, lies and is worshipped and the Higher Dimensional Continent where even to this day, is the major forefront and battlefield between the creatures from the void and humanity.

In an outer city of the Brokang Empire, a youngster is struck by a rock and mysteriously gains a System that comes with a world where resources are plentiful and another power system that can give Orderers a run of their money!

Let us see what the main character can do in this chaotic era disguised as an orderly one, where mutated beasts run amok and human figures scheming against each other for more power and benefits, where unethical laws are put as well-intentioned ones and when it seems that God has abandoned this world for good! 

Chapter Update: Inconsistent, averaging 1 chap/month. This story has started a long time ago when my writing was a little bit immature so bear with it. The writing should be getting better as I get a clearer view of the world I want to create and build.

A low, stable thrum rocked my body lightly as morning wind rushed past me without any reservation. My beaut of a hoverbike purred quietly as I pushed her harder to reach my destination faster. I was running out of time, so I took an off-route I didn't like and revved the modified engine in my bike past its safety limits.
I had already broken the manufacturer's warranty on my hoverbike more than a dozen times since I first purchased it, so I didn't give a shit about pushing the engine past its factory limits.
It was more than capable of reaching speeds that would be considered illegal on a training hoverbike, but that didn't matter to me at all. The chance of a random Fed patrolling the neighborhood I was passing by was essentially nonexistent because...
The neighborhood I was speeding through belonged to a district that was ruled by a criminal syndicate of infamous repute. It was a dodgy place that normal civilians usually kept out of for valid reasons.
Nobody wanted to get robbed of their shit, for instance. Or scammed. That was what normal people feared, at least.
But I knew that much more than that went on in this district. Theft was the kindest sin within the Twelfth District of La Gyutoro. The rabbit-hole went much, much deeper than a majority of people knew. It was a pitch-black hellhole down there.
The streets were clean and well-kept, but that was just a cheap tactic to get innocent sheeple to pass through it. It was a facade for what really went down within the tall skyscrapers in this part of the city. Flashy holo-signs created a digital jungle of advertisements and online scams up above one's field of view.
Floating billboards of all sizes littered the sky above the downtown, each one competing for the attention of the geese flying their hovercraft even further up.
Most locals with half a fucking brain already knew about this district, but the tourists who visited La Gyutoro were not in the know, obviously. The poor bastards often flocked here, lured by the sight of all the colorful lights and sounds, unaware of the sharks that roamed this district.
And the worst part was the no one gave a shit about this cesspool. Not the Feds, the mayor of the damned city, or the megacorps that effectively owned the district.
It was all fucked in this district and that... was how the powers that be desired it.
I pushed my hoverbike even harder and sped past the glamorous honeytrap that was the Twelfth District. As far as I was concerned, I wanted nothing to do with that godforsaken district.
A faint, throbbing pain started to slither around my upper back and reminded me that I was still on thin ice. I would not receive a second chance again if I fucked the goose like last time.
I'm a good boy, now. As long as I keep my head down and blend into the scenery, I'll be fine. Can't let down the Professor after all he's done for me.
Gotta pay back that debt and be a man of my word.
Even though I understood that the wound had healed long ago, it didn't help whenever it started to act up like right now. Thankfully, it rarely resurfaced, if at all these days...
I despised this district to the core. There was nothing of value in it and the further I got away from it, the faster I felt my ache disappearing.
By the time I arrived at the academy, it had all but vanished into oblivion. It was gone. My upsetting thoughts sunk into the recesses of my mind as I pulled into the academy's parking lot and checked my phone.
7:52 AM.
Arrived with eight minutes to spare. Only took about five minutes to stroll across the campus to my class if I walked quickly. The last thing I want to do is arrive late and disappoint the Professor, so I hurriedly parked my bike and headed towards the only other refuge I had in this miserable place.
The Magical Engineering and Applied Metacausal Mechanics Department.
It was such a handful to say that the people actually frequented the department just referred to it as the "High-Engineering Department" to save themselves an extra breath of air.
The halls within the faulty building that the High-Engineering department was located in were arguably the emptiest in the entire academy. To put it politely, the place was a graveyard.
Although that was something I appreciated about it, that wasn't the reason why I chose my High-Engineering as my selected major. I wasn't that petty or short-sighted. Like hell I'd choose my major just to get away from the cretins in this academy.
No, I chose it because it was an incredibly specialized major that'd open a door for me in the future. It was still a far-fetched dream right now, but I'm determined to carve my way into the ranks of the few who have been permitted direct access to... the man-made deity that's holding modern magic together as people comprehend it.
The best part of it all is that any engineering position within FAMA (the Federal Artificial Magic Administration) is a government job. That means that I don't have to worry about any of the cunts in this academy putting me some secret blacklist to prevent me from getting a job. My reputation with them will mean shit since I'll be working for The Man.
Even the megacorporations that rule the global economy don't have a single say about what goes on in FAMA. The artificial god the Fifty Wisemen built is exclusively under the management of its fifty creators and no one else.
The instant I stepped into the classroom, I was greeted by the same indifferent faces I had come tolerate. Four pairs of eyes gazed at me for an instant before they returned to their previous positions. They had most likely thought that I had been the Professor, given the current time. Class almost about to start.
These four fellows we're just like me in the sense that they were also gunning for the same career I wanted. Not that I had a problem with that since the field we were a part of desperately needed new blood. The number of people who actually went through with High-Engineering as their chosen major was so abysmally low that it had become a semi-serious concern in the academic community.
Even with high paying salaries, a ton of open positions, and guaranteed scholarships for prospective students, the number of people enlisted in High-Engineering was genuinely worrying.
To put things into perspective, the number of major transfers from High-Engineering to every other major was well within the thousands. In short, people were scared away the instant they saw that the courses for High-Engineering required more than just studying for a couple of days before the final exams.
When they realized that you couldn't bullshit your way through the classes, people ran for the damn hills.
This is what it's like in my third year as a High-Engineering student in Afon O'Mir. Out of my entire class year, there are only five of us — including myself — that have stuck around.
Felix Hainsworth. Human. 18 years old. Only other human in the group aside from myself. We don't talk much, if at all. If anything, I have a better relationship with the other three non-humans than him.
Xolun Lacinto. Dark Elf. 19 years old (Human-age conversion). A moody guy. Doesn't speak much, even when it's necessary. Very direct and curt, but that's fine with me. Less is more in my book.
Makao Wasserman. Common Demon. 18 years old. Probably the most normal one of us in the class. Tried to befriend everyone at first, but soon realized his mistake. He's stopped caring as of now.
Kardeen Baphone. Half-Dwarf. 17 years old. Not as short as you imagine him out to be. Guess the other half in him won out over his Dwarf side. Made mead using stolen chemistry department equipment once. It didn't taste that bad, to be honest. He's an alright guy, I suppose.
I know their names, faces, and a bit about their family backgrounds, but I can't really call myself friends with them. We do our best to stay out of each other's hair whenever possible. 
We don't have an extremely friendly relationship, but it isn't a terrible one, either. 
To put it bluntly, we have more of a business-orientated relationship than an informal, casual one as friends. Since there are only five of us left, it's an absolute given that we've been forced to become group members for laboratory projects when they come up. 
Fast, accurate, and highly efficient — that's how I'd describe our motley little group. And it's no surprise at all given we've been groupmates for two years now. Everyone knows their assigned roles and what is expected of them. 
Like finely oiled gears in a soulless machine, we have reached the zenith of efficiency to the point that we rarely even speak to each other anymore these days.
 We get work done as quickly as possible and then disperse as if we never even knew each other after class is over. Just how I like it. 
I won't lie though, we're a group of oddballs, but we don't hold a candle compared to him...
The Professor. 
Sandals and socks. A summer-themed floral dress shirt and an outrageous death-metal t-shirt underneath it. And if that wasn't enough, he sported the holy grail of all things ignoble — a set of khaki cargo pants. 
Our professor, Dr. Milton Sean Lancaster, was the anathema to all logic in existence. 
And this was the man who gave me... my second chance at life. 
If it weren't for him, my stupid ass would've ended up in juvie for the rest of my schooltime until I graduated. I cannot even begin to stress enough the extraordinary lengths this man went to pull me out of the shithole I had dug myself into back then. 
"Gooood morning, ladies! How'd the weekend treat of all you? Did 'ya spend it with a special someone, eh? Or were all of you holed up in 'ya rooms again, wasting your precious days playing video games?" 
This man was incorrigibly optimistic and friendly, to a goddamned fault. He had absolutely qualms about joking around with some of the most lifeless ice cubes in this academy. 
Where the majority saw an impossible task, Dr. Milton only saw that it was Tuesday. 
Impossible was not a word in his personal dictionary, which I found both especially vexatious and admirable at the same time. The guy simply did not know when to quit or rather, did not know "how to quit" in the first place. 
It's the same reason why he tells these stupid jokes every time class starts and... 
Why he did not give up on me after I hit rock bottom and fucked everything up. 
"Come on, gents, don't leave a brother hanging! What have you guys been up to? How about you, Xolun? Whatcha been up to since we last met? You, Kardeen? Where are them juicy stories, guys?!" said Dr. Milton as he waited for his holo-comp to boot up so he could start the lecture.
I would not normally even consider speaking aloud of my own volition, but there was something itching at the back of my head and before I knew it, my lips had already moved against my will.
"I, uh, did something last week, Doc." 
Dr. Milton's face shone like a lightbulb when he heard me and enthusiastically replied, "Lay it on me, little brother! Regale us your epic and set our hearts aflame with passion!" 
Was he department head of Magical Engineering or the English Literature department? 
"You know, I... sort of met a girl last week. She was a bit of an oddball and... we had a rough first introduction, but I think that she might not be all bad." 
My words sent Dr. Milton into a catatonic state of shock as he dumbfoundedly stared at me with his large, bewildered eyes. Was what I had said that astonishing? 
The other four turned around and stared at me with equally astonished, disbelieving expressions, which I found annoying as hell. 
What? I can't meet a girl? Exactly who do you people think I am? I knew my reputation at school was terrible but I didn't think it was this godawful, to the point that my meeting a girl was that much of a surprise. 
Dr. Milton's face broke into a huge grin and he said, "Awww, yeah! Finally, some damn good news from the frontlines, am I right, lads? So, who's this lucky lady you've become acquainted with, Cassanova?" 
The four bastards turned around, but it was painfully obvious that they were interested in the conversation, despite their futile efforts at playing dumb. Their hands were on their holo-comps' keyboards, but they weren't fucking moving them. 
But it wasn't as if I could pull out anymore. The delighted expression on Dr. Milton's face was such that I found it far too difficult to reject his questions outright. 
"She's... not from around here. You know, because of my bad rep here and all. I sort of met her at a... bookstore last week in the Tenth District."
I hated the idea of lying to him, but these were special circumstances. If I gave even the smallest clue that could give away her true identity, I'd likely fuck everything up beyond repair — for myself and her.
So I told the best half-truth I come up with on such short notice. In truth, I shouldn't have even opened my mouth altogether.
Dr. Milton scratched the stubble on his chin and said, "Hoh, at a bookstore, hm? One of them reserved, quiet types, I bet. They're hard nuts to crack because they usually don't talk much. My advice for those types of girls is to find out what they like and approach them from... the opposite angle if you wanna catch their attention."
I nodded slowly like a robot out of reflex until I processed what he had said. Approach from the opposite angle? ...Isn't that counterproductive to the final goal, as in — getting the girl to like you?
"...But aren't we supposed to make girls like us? How will that help?" said Xolun in a confused tone.
"Isn't common sense to approach girls by using shared common interests? I don't understand your advice, Professor," said Makao as he turned toward the others for some form of agreement. 
Before I knew it, my four classmates had already begun proposing their own counterarguments about Dr. Milton's advice for me. 
A heated debate had arisen between themselves and Dr. Milton as they continued to argue the philosophy of dating stratagems and the most optimal pick lines.
Are these motherfuckers genuinely trying to speedrun the concept of dating? Do they have any idea how stupid that sounds?
Dr. Milton slapped his head in frustration and said, "No, you morons, don't you get it?! These shy, reserved types are almost always extremely passionate about their hobbies, so if you pick the opposing viewpoint to her's, she'll naturally fight back hard to defend her side!! 

The goal is to get these girls, who are often very hard to open up and converse with, riled up on PURPOSE. Let them get angry and debate them till the cows go home, as long as it gets you through the door. Why are you doubting the advice of the guy with a wife, you little punks?! I've already completed my speedrun!"
I sighed. The five of them have already entered their own dimension, as per usual. They love debating as much as they love being correct. Being in these classes with these five was always a headache.
Still, I couldn't skip these classes. I had a promise to uphold. 
To my eternally optimistic professor, Dr. Milton. 
Though it didn't mean I wanted to be here. Frankly speaking, I wanted it to be over — my classes for the day, I mean.
There was a certain someone I wanted to meet. Well, if she happened upon my sanctuary again, at least.
Hopefully. 
I gazed at the clock in the classroom, above Dr. Milton's head. It felt as if it had all but stopped in its tracks.
...Today was going to be a long, long day it seemed.

Katché Wisfern is beholden to his principles, despite the grief they've caused him as of late. He's well aware that gambling's for fools, but even so, he can't stop himself.

Especially now that Katché has found someone who's broken every presumption he's had and then some. Needless to say, he's finally met his match.

In Afon O'Mir, a prestigious academy for gifted modern mages, Katché is walking ghost; a guy who'd been sentenced to death. Well, not literally. Just socially. And of his own volition, mind you. After all, he'd rather die than step into the limelight for even a second.

Unfortunately, Katché's dream life as a ghost was not meant to be. 

Had it not been for her, Katché would've enjoyed a peaceful, albeit monotonous, school life until he graduated.
 
He would have not turned into a gambler, were it not for her. That was what he originally thought, but nowadays, he doesn't know what to think anymore...

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Author's Note: Hey, FattyBai here! I thought I'd try my hand at something (another bad idea given the demographics and popular trends of Webnovel) again...

Hear me out okay? Romance? Yes. Rom-com? Yes. Magic academy? Yes.

Cool, right? But that ain't the unique part. My big twist is... wait for it....

Male-lead Romance. Yup. Science-Fantasy Setting? Oh, yeah. No Harem? 

That's right, there will be—

 ...Excuse me for a moment, I have an incoming call from my content editor... 

[FattyBai]: Hello, this FattyBai speaking.

[XXX] (Editor): Am I a joke to you?

[FattyBai]: ............Is this is a rhetorical question?

.....In any case, I welcome you all to the world of Masulan! Read the auxillary chapter before chapter one to get a quick primer of the world before you jump in! I'll catch you all at Afon O'Mir!

Captain Zhang brought the warrant over to check on the security footage.
However, the results of the investigation were disappointing.
The hotel reception did not lie. That woman in black really was not a guest in Xin Xing Hotel.
After getting out of the elevator on the floor where Xiang Wan stayed, she walked one round along the corridor, and in less than two minutes, she took the elevator and left the hotel.
That woman in black had her head lowered, and from the security footage, it was impossible to see her features clearly…
In Xin Xing Hotel, one needed to scan their room card when going up, but there was no need for that if one wanted to go down.
Obviously, the woman in black knew everything about the hotel.
"We've been busy for nothing."
That was Captain Zhang. His tone sounded a little unhappy.
"The hotel reception did not check her identity card?"
Tu Liang creased his brows. "The hotel reception said she was just inquiring for prices and did not take out her identity card."
"…"
She must have not wanted to show her identity card at all?
Everyone fell silent.
Xiang Wan stood quietly and did not make a sound.
As she had seen and taken the elevator together with the woman in black, she was called to come over to look at the security footage. Hence, she had the opportunity to meet Captain Zhang.
He had a squarish face, wore very casual clothes, and was a very tall man. At this moment, due to anger, his eyebrows were wrinkled together and he seemed a little fierce…
When Xiang Wan was looking at him, Captain Zhang happened to turn around and took a glance at her. "Captain Bai, can I ask your girlfriend a few questions?"
Bai Muchuan nodded. "Sure."
He answered swiftly and helped Xiang Wan made the decision.
The next second, he added, "But I have to be present."
Captain Zhang glanced at him but said nothing.
It was a cooperation on this case after all and for Bai Muchuan to be present when he wanted to question a witness was reasonable.
Captain Zhang nodded his head as he knew Bai Muchuan was simply worried about his girlfriend. They gathered at the lounge where an accompanying detective took the statement as Captain Zhang asked Xiang Wan his questions.
"Why did that woman appear at the entrance so coincidentally when you are about to get your food?" Captain Zhang looked at Xiang Wan. "Could it be she already knew about this beforehand that you will definitely place a takeaway order?"
Xiang Wan had actually thought about this problem carefully.
However, the answer was… unknown.
Facing Captain Zhang's sharp gaze, she laughed a little helplessly.
"If I knew about this, I would not need your help."
Captain Zhang took a deep look at her but did not continue this topic.
Besides how Xiang Wan met that woman, he also inquired about online novels including "The Temptation of the Rich & Famous", and when Xiang Wan got to know about it.
From the way Captain Zheng asked her about all these, Xiang Wan could conclude without demur that he was totally clueless about how things worked in the online literature industry. The questions he asked was that of a layman.
Xiang Wan answered each and every question. She even explained in detail.
There was hardly any expression on Captain Zhang's face.
Before he left the hotel, he took a glance at Bai Muchuan.
"This 121 case will not stop at five deaths."
"Of course," concurred Bai Muchuan who raised his eyebrows, "this is just the beginning."
Rather, the fun of the game had just begun!
Captain Zhang frowned slightly in hesitation, or maybe he was dissatisfied with Bai Muchuan's reply.
"What we need to do right now—is to stop him."
"Yes." Bai Muchuan showed a faint smile. "That is our common goal."
Captain Zhang bit his dry lower lip. "We just received news that the two fellows seemed to have headed for Nanmu—"
Finally willing to share more information?
Bai Muchuan took a glance at him. "Looks like you didn't leave them be."
Captain Zhang was slightly taken aback. "You knew all along?"
Bai Muchuan's expression seemed a little grim with a meaningful smile. "Some of your men are not really reliable, but for you… you're a detective."
Captain Zhang looked at him but did not say a word.
The two fellows they were referring to were the ones who stalked Bai Muchuan and Xiang Wan at Xi City. Bai Muchuan had nabbed them and sent them to the police station, but they were released by Captain Zhang consequently…
Now that he had their whereabouts at his fingertips, wasn't it a typical method of trying to catch all of them in one fell swoop?
"You know," Captain Zhang paused for while, "sometimes, it's not easy to want to do something."
Bai Muchuan expressed his understanding.
"Don't worry," he gave a pat on Captain Zhang's shoulder, "I'll take responsibility if there's anything."
Captain Zhang looked directly at him.
Quite a while later, he lowered his head and left.
…
The seven of them returned to their rooms.
Bai Muchuan's room was a suite where the living room could be used for work.
Bai Muchuan looked at everyone after getting them to take a seat. "Everyone, what's your opinion on this matter?"
Tu Liang and Ding Yifan did not say a word, and they seemed to be thinking. Salimu stared at his mobile phone, not sure what he was looking at.
"I'm the operation team," Quan Shaoteng sat lazily and sighed, "I only have well-developed limbs. I'll just wait for you to give orders, and I'll do the arresting."
Still bearing a grudge!
Bai Muchuan swept a glance at him and said nothing.
"Boss," said Tang Yuanchu in hesitation, "Captain Zhang's an experienced detective. He would not give us an address for any reason! That place—Nanmu—he mentioned and the two fellows who went to Nanmu… There's definitely something to it…"
That goes without saying!
Bai Muchuan was expressionless. "There's nothing else?"
Tang Yuanchu cleared his throat and sat down beside him. "Investigating a case in Xi City is tough for us. We're unable to obtain firsthand information. We still need the cooperation of the Xi City police."
Bai Muchuan chuckled. "It's their obligation."
The curtain of the room was drawn, and the lights were dim. Tang Yuanchu felt Bai Muchuan's face was somewhat gloomy when he said that.
"It's obvious they do not want us to handle this case," said Tang Yuanchu after some careful deliberation. "Hence, what Captain Zhang wanted was to point to a direction."
Tang Yuanchu had some thoughts, but he did not dare say it outright. He could only put it across mildly.
"In my opinion, we still need the Xi City police to provide more information."
Bai Muchuan was silent for a moment and looked at Sailimu, who was playing with his mobile phone. "Get their information."
There was a gleam of excitement on Salimu's thin face when Bai Muchuan called him to work. "Yes, Sir!"
As if he had received amnesty, he cheerfully brought his laptop over…
Only then did Xiang Wan get to know this seemingly innocent Salimu was a computer genius as well as a highly skilled hacker.
It was no wonder Bai Muchuan brought him along to Xi City.
Generally, it was illegal to intrude into other people's systems. Therefore, most of the time, Salimu would have nothing to do. While they were discussing the case, he was busy playing games on his mobile phone.
Now that he got a task, he immediately worked on it.
"Boss, I found it!"
Bai Muchuan turned to him. "Say it!"
"The information the Xi City Police got ahold of is that the Dark Clan has been very active in the Nanmu region. The two fellows whom you previously caught are called Hou Sanliang and Zeng Shibao respectively. They are members of the Dark Clan, but they are only the runners…"
Bai Muchuan asked, "How big is this Dark Clan?"
"The number of people in it is unknown…" said Salimu hesitantly, "however, according to what is here, the activities of this organization are mainly for the purpose of making money. There is no record of any homicide cases before…"
"How about the hierarchy structure of the Dark Clan?"
"Unknown."
"How 'bout the leader?"
"Unknown."
"…"
Bai Muchuan looked at him without batting an eyelid.
Salimu blinked and pointed to his laptop innocently.
"That's all they have."
Pffft! Xiang Wan tried to control her laughter.
Salimu had such a harmless face that it gave off a comedic feel.
This was not a good time to laugh. Xiang Wan was feeling excited to have met a skilled hacker.
After talking to Bai Muchuan about her thoughts, Xiang Wan took her laptop over and told Salimu about that mysterious ID, hoping he might be able to shed some light.
Nevertheless, it was a pity the mysterious ID had not made any new comment.
That comment about "The Temptation of the Rich & Famous" was being removed as well.
Salimu tried to search for footprints from the backend of Wen Quan Book Treasury but was unsuccessful.
Therefore, the result was consistent with what Bai Muchuan had told Xiang Wan before.
The mysterious ID could have belonged to a civilian who traveled around much and used public networks frequently. Alternatively, that mysterious ID could have been a really powerful hacker who knew how to remove or mask his footprints perfectly.
"I feel that it should be the latter," said Xiang Wan.
Till now, if she was still so naive to think everything was a coincidence, that would be too dense.
"All this while, I've been puzzled if I'm the target, why didn't that manipulator come after me directly but kill so many innocent people?"
Bai Muchuan remarked, "They're not innocent."
Xiang Wan was startled by his remark. "What do you mean? How are they related to this case?"
Bai Muchuan gazed at her directly. "Think it over carefully."
If they were not innocent, that meant they were guilty of something?
Xiang Wan thought about those who were dead, as well as "The Temptation of the Rich & Famous". Those words they used to lure people in—"participate in the making of this book", "annual income of tens of millions", and "no longer be a dream".
"Yes, they died of greed. Nobody forced them to join that." Xiang Wan laughed ironically after giving a snort. "Even till now, there are still people believing in those scams that say 'drive a BMW or Ferrari in three months'!"
A short silence took over.
"There are no problems with the takeaway, the food app, and the delivery man. Basically, we can ascertain the strange note was put inside the carrier by that woman in black. If we assume she's a member of the Dark Clan, is it really possible she made this trip to this hotel just to drop a note to tell Miss Xiang that she has been selected to join 'The Temptation of the Rich & Famous'?"
"Who knows?"
Xiang Wan was bewildered.
"I don't even know how to participate in that program? I'm not told why I'm being chosen, nor am I told how to join the making of that book?"
"No! Maybe you've already started long ago." Bai Muchuan suddenly turned to her. In his eyes, there seemed to be dark, brooding waves. "It's your book—Murder The Dream Guy."

What? No!
Xiang Wan's heart had rejected such a deduction.
If Bai Muchuan's deduction was true, would that mean all those major cases of Jin City and this 121 case in Xi City were somewhat linked?
Then any author who participated in "The Temptation of the Rich & Famous" meant whatever cases they wrote inside their novel would be replicated to become real-life cases?
That thought made Xiang Wan's spine numb and her body cold.
"However, they have not even started to write anything and got killed?"
Bai Muchuan looked at her casually. "Not everyone is as talented as you."
Was this considered a compliment?
Xiang Wan took a look at the strange note on the table again.
"The main person I want to groom."
Her heart shrank for a moment as she chewed over the words. "Do you mean the five girls died because they were unable to bring out the joy of this game? Thus, these girls were being murdered?"
"Maybe, they have now become your 'plot'."
"…" Xiang Wan felt suffocated for an instant, all of her pores were as though blocked.
"Bai Muchuan, you're saying I'm being forced to write about this 121 case?"
Bai Muchuan nodded his head, his gaze felt chilly.
"Whoever's behind it wanted to groom you into a revered author—he wanted to use your hands to kill."
… That's too horrifying!
She thought back about her first case—Zhao Jiahang. If that was purely accidental that she used him as reference and wrote a murder case, the subsequent cases she wrote could have been planned out.
Whenever she wrote about death, there would be someone who would die in real life.
If she didn't write and update her story, there would be a death for each day she failed to do so.
Someone was forcing her and was enjoying the thrill of it.
Xiang Wan's brain was buzzing, her eardrums ringing. She was enraged.
"Why did that person target me? What if I die?"
Bai Muchuan's gaze turned chilly again after hearing that from Xiang Wan. "He'll search for another target."
The moment when people who had such abnormal criminal behavior found pleasure from certain criminal activity, they would have a hard time stopping that activity.
"That means," sneered Xiang Wan, "whether if I went into hiding or if I'm dead would not affect that person's intentions and plan?"
Bai Muchuan squinted his eyes as he looked at her face which was now flushed red due to anger. "You can say that!"
Xiang Wan took a deep breath and sat weakly on the sofa. Her eyes were red and she stayed motionless for a long time.
"I still don't understand. Since they've already planned ahead, why didn't they continue to leave comments on the reviews and comments page but got a woman to drop me that note?"
Everyone fell silent.
"Maybe he knew about my presence and decided to adopt a more direct approach in case I might be able to find something that could expose his identity? That was why that woman in black dropped you a note to officially start this crazy program that felt like a game?"
Bai Muchuan gave a chuckle and looked at Xiang Wan. "What do you think?"
Xiang Wan shook her head. "I feel that he's a lunatic. He's scared of nothing."
If he was afraid, how would he dare do something ordinary people did not even dare to think about?
Bai Muchuan gave her a look of approval. "Maybe he thought this was more formal." His tone became lower. "Or maybe he wanted to show his capability… that he could do whatever he wants, even in our territory."
Xiang Wan nodded.
This was probably the most plausible explanation.
"Let's not talk about all this that could not help in the situation. Just talk about what we should do." Quan Shaoteng did not have much patience. "Little Bai, why did I feel that investigation is so troublesome? If it's me, I'll directly bring a group of people over and drag each and every one of the triad members out of their lair. Then we'll just question them whatever we wanted to know, won't it be better?"

If only it was so simple.
Bai Muchuan swept a glare over. "No wonder you're always making mistakes."
Quan Shaoteng scoffed. "Don't ruin my image. When have I ever made a mistake?"
Bai Muchuan laughed. "If you didn't make a mistake, why do you think you're here at Serious Crime Division One to mend your ways…"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Quan Shaoteng knocked on the table. "You gotta be reasonable. You're the one who wanted me to come."
Bai Muchuan said lazily, "I'm not someone who would go around saying things that ain't true."
"… Fine. That means you don't need me around?"
"We need you." Bai Muchuan turned around slowly to look at everyone in the room and his gaze suddenly became serious. "Our trip to Nanmu maybe fraught with danger. We do need someone who could protect us."
Quan Shaoteng gasped in anger. "…"
…



Aspiring author Xiang Wan was deemed hopeless by her family and better off married when her fourth novel still did not do well. 
Just as she started to doubt herself and wonder if she should continue to pursue her dream as an author, things take an unexpected turn when a dazzling guy appears before her and she was taken away by the police as a prime suspect of a murder case.
A murder had taken place and the details were eerily similar to her mystery novel. 
From then on, her life turned topsy-turvy.
...........
Translator Review:
This is a novel encompassed with mystery, ethics, family ties, and romance. Of course, the highlights of this book are the murder cases. 
Although it’s a modern setup where none of the characters have a system or any other cheats, the Author managed to delight me with her writing, creative plots and a good pace without dragging her story. 
I marvel at the way the Author links up the clues and plot to explain the individual cases as well as paving the way to unravel the huge conspiracy behind the individual murders. Romantic plots are light-hearted so readers could take a breather from the plots of gruesome murders.
Frequency of release:  1 chapter/daily

Famous had learned the desire for freedom from Galaxy.
From Doggy who just died, Famous realized its grievance and humiliation.
Before it died, Famous read in its heart that it had been suffering since birth. It was taken away from its mother too soon, and it had to fight for the leftovers with other dogs. When it grew slightly larger, Doggy and many other dogs were crammed into narrow iron cages, loaded into trucks that were covered with canvas and started their long journey southward.
The truck was open and the weather was freezing. The canvas was so thin that the wind kept blowing in. It crowded with its companions to keep warm, struggling through innumerable long, cold nights in the stinky compartment full of the smells of excrement and vomit. Gradually, one dog began to get seriously sick. Whether it was a cold or another disease, the illness quietly spread among peers. Almost every morning when Doggy woke up, there would be companions who had already closed their eyes forever.
The driver and the man in charge of the truck were grumpy. Their eyes were reddened due to chronic sleep deprivation. The dogs were beaten or scolded when they were upset. When the two men remembered to feed them, they would prepare something for the dogs to eat. And when they forgot, the dogs were starving. Every morning, they counted the number of dogs, opened the cages, and dragged the dead dogs out, and god knew what they did with them. Doggy did not see them carrying shovels, nor would they waste their precious free time digging holes to bury the dead dogs.
Just like this, Doggy and its companions travelled all the way to the south, passing several large and small cities, where some companions were removed from the truck. The truck was getting empty until it reached Binhai City, where it and other survivors were bought by Black Mole. The driver and the person in charge received money, and then drove the truck back up north to ship the next truck of dogs.
The few days after Wei Ping brought it home were the happiest in its life, so happy that it thought it was in paradise.
Unfortunately, the good times were too short. It got sick.
The Little Master was holding it, crying. Wei Ping was anxious and worried about it.
When it first contracted the illness, Doggy knew it would die soon, because the symptoms of the disease were exactly the same as its dead companions in the truck, and no one could escape death.
However, it did not regret coming to the south. Wei Ping and the Little Master loved it dearly. Even though the time they spent together was short, it was extremely happy.
Therefore, when Wei Ping was being humiliated by Black Mole in public, Doggy struggled several times to get up and guard Wei Ping, trying to bark at Black Mole with its sharp teeth... Unfortunately, it was too weak to get up.
But Famous could help it with this. 
When Wei Ping placed Doggy’s corpse in the tricycle and turned around, he found that the German Shepherd brought by Zhang Zian was squatting in front of him, guarding him like a sentinel, barking and revealing its sharp teeth.
Wei Ping was stunned. Though Doggy and the German Shepherd were different breeds, the posture of the German Shepherd right now made it look just like his Doggy from behind. 
Doggy was no longer alone.
When Doggy was snuggling in its mother's arms to drink milk, Famous was looking at it;
When Doggy was kicked and abused by the breeders, Famous encouraged it to stay strong;
When Doggy was in the bumpy truck, Famous was with it the whole time;
When Doggy was playing with Wei Ping and the Little Master, Famous also joined their game;
When Doggy was dying, Famous opened its mind and accepted Doggy’s memories...
Doggy finally had found its peace of mind and could close its eyes forever. It had spent its life without regret.
...
As a dog trader dealing with dogs all day, Black Mole was familiar with dogs’ temperaments. He glanced into the eyes of Famous and heard its barking. This dog was quiet before, how come it became so mad so suddenly… as if it may lunge at me at any time and tear me apart?!
"This... is this your dog? You need to control your dog…" he pointed to Famous and asked Zhang Zian.
Black Mole did not dare to glance at Famous anymore, for fear of further provoking it.
Zhang Zian calmly smiled, "Do you have evidence? How can you tell it is my dog?"
"I..." Black Mole was speechless.
Zhang Zian turned his eyes and looked at Famous, who was protecting Wei Ping with its body. Although its eyes were full of anger, the wrath still could not conceal the rays of its deeper and sublime ideals. From its gaze, Zhang Zian seemed to have seen the eyes of Audrey Hepburn that were looking forward to loving and beauty.
He was not worried that Famous would bite Black Mole, because it was never a vengeful angel, but a guardian angel.
It used to guard Galaxy and was now guarding Wei Ping.
Zhang Zian slowly walked to the cages, which contained a few medium-sized dogs who looked very similar to the dead Doggy, similar to a Shiba Inu. With their slightly triangular eyes, except for a few parts like their white chins, chests, and above their eyebrows, most of their bodies were covered with khaki fur. Their tails were curly, and when they opened their mouths, it seemed like they were smiling…
For any layperson, they would be susceptible to these dogs’ appearance, thinking that these were real Shiba Inus.
"You think everyone is a fool? That no one, except you, would know what the breed these dogs are?" Zhang Zian circled around the cages for a few times and observed for a moment, and then turned to speak to Black Mole.
"Nonsense! Tell me then, if they are not Shiba Inus, what are they? If you can’t get it right, don’t blame me for cursing you to death," Black Mole clamored, not afraid of the possible consequences.
"Who also wants to know?" Zhang Zian looked at the crowd.
A lot of people nodded, and some replied aloud, "We want to know!"
Deng Jie was clutching her bag straps tightly, staring at Zhang Zian's lips, lest she missed any word from him. The disease and death of her puppy had been plaguing her for months, and her trauma may be healed at any next moment.
Lin Qi was excitedly widening his eyes. He would like to use this opportunity to know whether Zhang Zian really was knowledgeable about pets.
Snowy was holding her cell phone high to avoid her camera being blocked by the people in front of her. Her heart was full of a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Helping so many people to recognize these common scams, she felt that her live broadcast was meaningful after all. 
Tie Ning was standing on the outside of the crowd, with his falcon-like eyes looking around. Most of the people’s attentions were all drawn to the center of the incident. He only he noticed a few people maliciously whispering.
Along the way, he saw Zhang Zian expose the scams of the unscrupulous merchants so as to prevent customers from being fooled again… compared to the security company’s CEO, Zhang Zian and his companions deserved his protection more.
Tie Ning quietly put on the peep-fingered boxing gloves.
His fists were itchy, as if longing for the pleasure of fighting in the free combat ring. He had forgotten his boss’s admonition— right now, his mind was repeatedly playing the admonition of the Armed Police Force: that people’s lives and property security cannot be violated!
Obviously, those unscrupulous profiteers had been excluded from the "people" category and were automatically classified by Tie Ning as "class enemies."
He also had forgotten the boss's kind reminder—that a Martial Arts Master was accompanying Snowy!
Or, he simply did not believe that Zhang Zian was a remarkable Martial Arts Master.
Back in Snowy’s home, Shi Rong and Jiang Tianda were so nervous. Their hearts were pounding so fast, as if they were about to jump out of their throats. 
Zhang Zian looked at Wei Ping, and nodded to Deng Jie on the outskirt of the crowd. He needed to tell them the truth. 
He said in a loud voice to the public, "These dogs are not real Shiba Inus, but Guangxi rural dogs! Guangxi rural dogs resemble Shiba Inus, but their ears are not as tall and upstanding as those of Shiba Inus. Their ears have been tied so as to pretend they are Shiba Inus. The tape must have been removed before these dogs were brought to the dog market. If you don’t believe me, you can take a closer look and see if you can find traces of the straps behind their ears!"


1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

I had really only planned to be out for a short time, a few days perhaps.
I saw an advertisement online about a new prototype gaming system from a company that I had never heard about. They claimed to bring life into gaming, and not just the other way around. I applied as a tester and never really thought my name would be called, but I received an email a few weeks later inviting me to take part in a demonstration of the new "Æther Digital Gaming Entertainment and Realization." Or ADGEAR for short. I thought it was a scam at first of course, but I applied nonetheless. A lot of people would send out fake "You're a winner" emails to anyone that would even pop-up on a web search directory for certain keywords, but I got another email a few days later requesting me to fill out a personal information form and sign a discretion agreement. A few days after that I got a phone call from some "Æther support representative."
Either they were very thorough with their follow-up scams, or this was legit.
I talked to the person on the phone for what seemed like hours, finding out information, trying to confirm that this was indeed real. Of course I didn't believe it, but if I was having fun wasting a scammer's time, why not? I explained that I was in no way even capable of making travel arrangements to their "test site." Not even five minutes later, there was a knock on my door and the voice on the phone insisted that I answer. There was a guy wearing a full black on black tuxedo and a grin that would win the worst poker face to exist contest, standing in front of my apartment. The person on the phone told me that they would; "arrange my transfer as comfortably as possible," and that I shouldn't worry. Some strange guy shows up at my house and then someone on the phone tells me not to worry, I will be "taken care of?" Gee, that's a great way to soothe the nerves of some college nobody dropout. They made it look like I was a hired hit, it sure felt like it anyway. The person on the phone again told me that I shouldn't worry, pack some belongings for a few days and if I'm not in the car in an hour, then the driver will leave and they wont bother me again. Curiosity… and/or stupidity got the best of me. I packed a few sets of clothes, grabbed my travel hygiene bag, and against my better judgment, walked out to meet the driver for what could be my abduction and impending doom. I left a note on my kitchen table, should I disappear hereafter, that read:
To whom it may concern…
Don't worry about me, I may have gotten myself locked in a digital world where I will never be seen again. But to be fair, it would be my own stupidity that put me in this position, and I would prefer it to be my own stupidity that gets me out. I am probably fine, but if nothing else, I am likely enjoying myself wherever I may be.
P.S. Tell my girlfriends that I love them and though our lives together were short, I enjoyed every minute I spent with them.
Sincerely,
Luke
I meant it mostly as a joke to anybody that knew my lifestyle. The closest thing that I had to a girlfriend were the cats at the animal shelter I volunteered at. It was my way of saying I actually left willingly. I was known for terrible humor, if the letter itself wasn't enough of a joke.
The drive was long, I'm glad I went to the bathroom before I left, we stopped every couple hours at various rest stops and convenient stores. The driver was not very talkative of course, so I just played games on my phone with the car wifi, which was crazy fast by the way, until the next stop.
After about 6 hours driving, not including the stops, the car finally pulled into a strange warehouse looking lot. There was a small sign on the entry gate labeled "ADGEAR", but aside from that, it seemed like a large but simple building in the middle of nowhere, almost like a failed rural town superstore. The windows were mirrored to the outside on every visible section of glass and the large initials of ADGER were posted on the windows. ADGER? Wasn't it ADGEAR? I guess "and" isn't usually included in acronyms, but ADGEAR sounded better.
The driver parked the car near the front of the building and popped the trunk, letting me know in the LEAST dry, hitman sounding tone that I think he knew how to use, that we had arrived. This guy wasn't improving their first impression much. He retrieved my bag from the trunk and handed it to me when I vacated the vehicle. As he drove off, I saw no activity within, or without the facility that I was dropped in front of.
I summoned what courage I could and reached for the front door. As my hand connected with the door handle, a high pitch beep sounded and a robotic voice recited my name and something along the lines of "access granted." Creeped out, and now almost certain I had walked into the modern day version of Rose Red, I pulled open the door and stepped through.
-
What? You want to know about me? There isn't anything important about me. Just picture your average overweight, 30 year old American male shut-in video game addict, that pretty much sums it up. Not too fat I guess, not compared to some, but certainly overweight. It bothers me at times when it's a chore to tie my shoes. It's not like who I am now will be important later. I mean, uhh....
Ok, fine. I guess I have long, brown, mostly straight hair. That usually makes me stand out when I go out in the world. Scruffy beard that is seldom shaved and only trimmed when it starts to cover my mouth, 'cause then it gets itchy when I wake up in the morning. Oh, I guess I was in the military for a few years but that is the part of my life that I want to forget the most.
It's funny actually, I complain about the lack of direction in my life, and the part of my life that had a real purpose is the part I don't want to remember.
Never married, no bastard children running around. My life was almost the definition of "dull." I wanted something I could turn to that could distract me from the life I didn't have, and naturally that led me to cycling through various video games on free sites. Even reaching out to different "game tester" ads that caught my interest, which led me to the situation I am in.
I wish I could tell you that I was your average hometown hero that wrestles thugs robbing convenience stores, or saving a person that was about to be hit by an out of control car. I wish I could say that I was an internet activist that was online giving webinars about how to take control of your life, but I can't. Heh, actually, I'm often the one watching those webinars, unsuccessfully trying to psyche myself up to do something with my life.
I wish I had someone or something to blame that would explain my lack of luster for life. Some blame their parents, some blame the internet, some blame doctors for not giving them the right medications, some even blame their problems on political persons of interest that have little effect on their daily lives. Then there is the rarest type, the type that blames themself for not having the willpower to take their lives into their own hands, berating themselves for lacking, well, everything. Can you… guess which one I am? If you didn't guess the last option, then you are probably one of the previous options. Or maybe even one of those that are satisfied with their life, I envy you.
If you think that this hindsight is depressing, cruel, and offensive, then you are probably right. People see and hear what they want to see and hear. I will bear responsibility for what I say, not what you understand.
I am not here for your satisfaction… or maybe I am in some twisted, self loathing point of view. I am here however, to tell a story. A story about how my life was changed, both literally, and figuratively. This is the story of my life in a game called . . . *roll badass anime theme music*
Æther World

A former military gamer is contacted by a mysterious benefactor that has noticed his interests and has decided he is qualified for a special virtual reality gaming system test. Curiosity gets the better of him and he ends up plummeting down the rabbit hole that becomes his life. There are a couple problems however, the first being he is already dead, and the second is that he becomes a she.
Note: This is a story based on my perspective of dark fantasy and may not be suitable for people who are offended... by anything. It is marked as "male" lead because it is narrated from the perspective of MC's male persona, for anyone that cares.
Further Note: I plan to progress the story at a modest pace, if you don't like stories in for the long haul, you may not like this one.

Since Ark and Scrat chose to have 2 different class, they can play as a tag team combo before they find trusting allies.

"Stat Check"

[Ark Level 1]
Class: Damage Dealer
Main weapon: Dual Berettas #1 (Common)
Sub weapon: Dual Berettas #2 (Common)
Equipment: Bulletproof vest (Common)

Stats
HP: 50/50
Strength: 5  Perception: 5
Endurance: 5  Agility: 5
Intelligence: 5  Charisma: 5
Luck: 5

[Scrat Level 1]
Class: Tanker
Main weapon: Riot Shield (Common)
Sub weapon: Baton (Common)
Equipment: Bulletproof vest (Common)

Stats
HP: 50/50
Strength: 5  Perception: 5
Endurance: 5  Agility: 5
Intelligence: 5  Charisma: 5
Luck: 5

"What doe the stats do, Scrat? Aren't we using guns? So will strength even affect the damage of the weapons?"

"Huhu, Ark. This is the specialty of UNIVERSUM Online. Any weapon above common grade will have stricter requirements to the user's stats."

"For example, at common grade, you can swap your Dual Berettas with my police baton. But as we level up and get new weapon, you won't even be able to generate shields properly."

"So for damage dealer what should I go with?"

"I dunno."

Scrat made a derpy face while running off.

"Ahh damn you, Scrat!"

[New quest triggered!]
Please head to your fleet to register onboard. 

Timi limit: 1 hour

"Crap, Scrat hurry up and buy some resources! We need to board the NPC fleet!"

"Oh yeah! Tesla Corporation is scheduled to take off later this evening!"

Ark and Scrat went to the city's production section to look for weapons and health kit. While Scrat was buying health kit, Ark noticed that he could check the attributes of the weapons sold in-store by touching them.

[Plasma rifle AK-001]
A standard issue of plasma rifle made by the company Plethora Corporation. It gathers plasma using energy generated by users before firing. Rate of fire is influenced by INT stats. Damage is influenced by STR stats.

"So this is one of those energy weapons. Strange? Normal games either focused on STR or INT. This one needed both."

It was indeed strange for other fantasy games but definitely not UNIVERSUM Online. After all, this system was created by one of the longest existing Immortal ever since the discovery of stack technology.

Energy weapon was frequently mentioned in the online forum as one of the game changing aspect of UNIVERSUM Online. Basic composite shield and bulletproof vest has zero defense capability against the energy based ammo.

The energy based weapon may be costly compared to normal physical based weapon, but none of the top ranker is not without energy weapon. It was also discovered by the top ranker that along with energy weapon and shield, the usual warfare faced major changes to combat styles.

In other words, its like current up to date warfare with the added functionality of magic that can pierce any if not all the defenses that was set up. Usual combination of damage dealer that focus on STR and END is no longer feasible.

After all, no matter how tank you are, if you have zero defense against energy weapon, you are just one meat bag waiting to be shot down.

Achieving immortality, humanity wanes in front of immense desire to live forever. We exist as "stack" as physical body no longer limits our existence.

One of the oldest immortals in existence created a brand new immersive game that sets a race for freedom as anything you do will implicate your real stack outside on reality.

This mean you can even earn enough money in the game to be set free in reality!

Of course, you will need a lot of luck to get through the vicious cycle of killing and dying!

Hold tight and bon voyage!

Even Emmy and Lucy, who was sitting and playing games on her phone was shocked when she heard this. Lucy subconsciously muttered, " He looks handsome, is he really sick?"

Hazel's expressions were no more comprehensible and were a mixture of different kinds of emotions. She hastily asked, "Did you ask Alexander about it? What did he tell?"

Elliott shook his head once more with a forced smile he replied, "What can we expect from him? As lively as he is, he didn't tell us anything and just brushed us off by saying, 'I am healthy! What can happen to me?'. I think he doesn't want us to worry about him thus he never talks about this issue. "

After showing this, his expression changed a bit more serious and said, "Hazel, I respect you as a classmate, as Emmy's friend and as a female, but I am telling you to go after my brother only if you are sure. Don't give him any false hopes. Even though I can't do anything about it if you don't listen to me but I'll tell you something as a friend. David Taylor treats him as his blood brother and he says even second heir of Joseph family respects Alexander as a big brother. Williams family is a strong political family, but they can't handle Taylor and Joseph families together! "

Emmy who was listening from the side was shocked after listening this and wasn't happy listening to her boyfriend's tone while talking to her best friend. She interjected, "Elliott watch what you are saying? Are you threatening her? "

Elliott shook his head rejecting Emmy and was about to explain when Hazel spoke out. "He's right! We can't handle even Joseph family alone, leave it when it's combined with the Taylor family. Moreover.. " her voice softened even more as she continued, "David already warned me yesterday to not go near Alexander. "

As her last words left her sweet,small mouth, Elliott and co. , along with Emmy and Lucy were thunderstruck! 

"Brother David already issued a warning?! " This wasn't Emmy or Elliott but Jacob who spoke out. Due to his superior strength and interest in combat classes, he was closest to David, after Alexander and he knew his character well.

He asked again, "Did he say something else? I am sure brother David doesn't make decisions rashly! "

Upon listening to the question, Hazel bowed her head down, piquing the interest of everyone. She then mumbled, "He also said about Ryan Reed."

Hiss!

This one sentence made everything clear. Now they will never blame David about breaking apart potential lovers. 

This weed, Ryan Reed was indeed trouble and thus David's actions were justified with just a single sentence.

Everyone knows about the incident involving Hazel and Ryan Reed in the entire academy. Thus they can't do anything about this and just leave it to nature.

Meanwhile inside Cottage number 2 of Forest cottage area:

"Aacho"

Alexander sneezed as he was doing meditation yoga to elevate his headache.

"Someone must be remembering me. But who?"

He muttered as he stood up from the mat on the ground and took in a deep breathe. His muscles relaxed and he looked at the wall clock.

It was already 9:00 am when he completed his yoga meditation to relax.

Today he was going to start his plan to earn money and create a public influencer company. He picked up his laptop from the table and sat on the bed as he kept his laptop on his lap.

He connected his device to the common wi-fi network in the college and launched his web browser.

His fingers danced over the keyboard firmly and with pressure, while he typed the name of politician he heard the other day. 
' LONG XIE '

With a single search, everything about Long Xie was in front of him.

Long Xie was a government official belonging to the branch of public infrastructure and development. He was accused of fraud and scams for 20 times whose net worth was  over 200 million global dollars. But every time he miraculously escaped from the situation unscathed and was declared innocent.

This amount of money was really great. If Alexander can get only 50% of this wealth then creating a company was as easy as throwing stones in a calm lake to create ripples. He would not need anyone to invest in his company.

"Kekeke... " 

Seeing the info and thinking about this, a devious smile came on Alexander's face along with this devious sound.

He scrolled through the information and using David's credentials as an heir to a great family, Alexander collected his as well as his assistant's private email addresses.

"Just you wait, Long family! I am starting!"

He declared as he opened a window on his laptop.

Join my discord : https://discord.gg/KczJbrj

[Neither Dropped nor on Hiatus. Just extremely slow updates due to special reason. Don't leave.]

__________________

An introverted, unhealthy and orphan boy dies after saving a girl from a car accident on modern earth. 

At the same time in a parallel realm, a boy dies due to over-exhaustion.

Former's soul takes over the later' body.

--------------------------------------

[New User Registered]

A mechanical voice awakes him from the deep slumber.
He feels something's off.

"F*ck, how am i still alive? Is this hospital?"

"But where's this smell coming from?"

He frantically sits up and looked around, only to curse more.

"F*ck!!!"

"It... It isn't a hospital! Thi... This is an onion warehouse!!"

"But why am I here instead of the hospital?"

[ To Sit on the Throne of World ]

Mechanical Voice sounded once again, frightening him to death!


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Note: Cover Belongs to me.

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Updates: Very very unstable... :(

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If you love stories with proper grammar then I am sorry, I am not great at it, this is my first work and I am not a native English speaker.

I write for the people who love reading my story.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Parents Guidance Suggested due to potential bloody scenes.


Follow me on Instagram: amanasciofficial

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